


I got you

by Rootcause



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-06-10 02:45:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6935707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rootcause/pseuds/Rootcause
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A small attempt at an idea I have, been a while since I done anything like this so ...<br/>Based after Mass Effect 3 and lets just go from there yeah?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a trial and error attempt, its by no means perfect but give me some feedback and maybe I'll try more.

Admiral Hackett stepped out of the elevator onto the medical ward and proceeded to make his way down the hallway, pausing every few yards to respond to salutes from other passing officers. Reaching the office of Dr Chakwas he pressed the intercom and waited for the door lock to turn green.  
Upon entering the small office he was surprised to be greeted by not only Dr Chakwas but also Liara T’Soni, an Asari squad mate to the Normandy vessel and bondmate to the ships commander. 

“Hmm” he muses as he glances between them both “ why do I feel that I am here under false pretences Doctor Chakwas? High blood pressure indeed”

“I am sorry Admiral,” Chakwas bowed her head in apology “but is imperative that I, we, speak with you and knowing how busy you are since the Reapers fell it was clear I’d have to be creative in getting your attention”

“I see” Hackett placed his hands behind his back and rocked slowly on his heels “So what is so important that you felt the need to pull me from my duties?” he glanced to Liara “as Doctor T’Soni is present then I must assume this involves Commander Shepard?”

“Yes Admiral” the Asari nods, her eyes soft but piercing in their stare  
“Hmm” he muses again, suspicion gracing his aging features “is the commander aware of this little ... whatever this is?”

Chakwas moves forward, forcing Hackett’s focus to her “No Admiral she does not, I’d prefer it to remain the case”  
“I see, then I suppose I aught to let you explain this little cloak and dagger meeting of ours”  
Chakwas clears her throat and steps softly to the window, taking a moment to gather her thoughts “Admiral what I am about to ask you may seem trivial and unimportant in the scheme of things. Our country is being rebuilt and will take many a year before we are fully back to normality, the Alliance is a symbol of hope to our people both on this earth and off, though bricks and mortar will rebuild our homes and flowers will flourish in our once ash laden meadows we must not lose sight of just how deep the Reapers damage can run”

“Doctor” Hackett chuckles “I’m a military man, grand speeches do little for me so you’ll have to be more specific”  
“Very well” Chakwas folds her arms “I need you to authorise a leave of absence for Commander Shepard”  
“Pardon?”  
The muscles in Chakwas’s shoulders tense up “You heard very well what I said Admiral”  
“Indeed I did but I presumed it to be a joke”  
“I kid you not”

“I see,” the Admiral strokes his bearded chin “Is the commander sick?”  
“No sir”  
“Is there a pressing emergency that I am not aware of that requires her attention?”  
“No sir”

He looks to Liara “Are you expecting?” 

“Expecting? Umm...” Liara glances around the room “ I don’t believe I am expecting ... should I be?”

Chakwas rolls her eyes at the evident language barrier and miscommunication “He means are you pregnant”

“Oh, oh!” Liara recoils in shock yet subconsciously places her hand on her stomach “No Admiral I am not, as you put it, expecting” 

“Then forgive me if I fail to see why you need me to grant this leave of absence”

“Admiral, sir” Liara pipes up, her words laced with clear concern “as Commander Shepards bondmate I am familiar with her in a much more intimate sense and due to my ability to meld my mind to hers, either in order to make sense of a memory or in the aspect of love making I ...”

Hackett coughs profusely and fidgets with the sleeve of his uniform, focusing on a speck of dirt on the cuff 

“Liara dear” Chakwas places a hand on the Asaris arm “maybe refrain from too intimate a detail in front of the admiral?” she herself sporting a slight blush to the cheeks. 

“Oh, by the Goddess ...” Liara clasps a hand to her mouth realising the awkwardness she had created, neither she nor the admiral able to meet the gaze of the other. 

“Admiral, what Liara is trying to say is that as she has such vivid access to the Commanders mind, she is more acutely aware when something is wrong”

“Okay,” Hackett slowly nodded as he listened, his lack of Asari knowledge slowing his comprehension. “So... are you telling me that you sense something is wrong with her mental state?”

“N-no, not exactly” stammers Liara, all to aware how confusing this must sound to someone who knows little of what it means to meld to another “ Shepard is currently sound of mind and body, her injuries suffered on the citadel have healed and as you know she is back to work as a fully active member of the alliance ... but whether she would admit it or not the fact remains she is under a great deal of pressure. As of late I have become aware of unease in Shepard, her sleep patterns have become irregular and I will often find her up and about in the early hours of the morning, when she sleeps she is restless and on several occasions has awoke with a jolt and is soaked through with sweat. She tells me she is fine and that it was just a bad dream, a nightmare, but I sense that it could run deeper and I am concerned that the undue pressure she is under is not helping”

Hackett looks from Liara to Dr Chakwas “Nightmares? Is that what this is about? Damn it Doctor prescriber her some meds, book her in to see a shrink! I do not have time for this charade, do you think Shepard is the only one to have bad dreams? Half my damned crew dream of husks jumping out of the dark, Reapers turning the world to dust and god only knows what else” 

“I am aware Shepard is not alone in the aftereffects of the Reapers, Sir” Chakwas lips practically snarl in anger, a sight rarely seen from the soft-spoken doctor “but they are not in the same league. Shepard is barely thirty-five years old and she has seen more horrors in her military career than you or I have seen if we were to pool them together”

“Shepard is a naval officer, she knows the risks”

“Yes and her knowing the risks is why she doesn’t know we’re here, I have no doubt she would say exactly what you said” Chakwas softens “Admiral since the reapers fell and Shepard was brought back alive from the Crucible she has unintentionally become the Alliance poster girl, everyone wants a moment of her time. The citadel is being rebuilt and the council is already badgering for us to send her out there to help sort their problems, the same council who refused to aid us against the reapers”

“Unless Shepard did something for them first” conceded Hackett 

“And I’m sure the carrot at the end of the stick is very tantalising to the higher-ups but must we throw Shepard back into the fire to get it?”

Hackett sighed, folded his arms and stared at the doctor

“Everyone has a limit, Shepards is greater than others but when you apply enough pressure a person can still be broken. Maybe it’s time we fought for the Commander with the same vigour and ferocity she does for all of us”

“And if I agree to this request where would you go? I assume you have a plan Miss T’Soni?”

“I – I have an apartment on Illium, Admiral” 

“Illium? So you would not remain Earthbound?”

“With respect, if we remain here Shepard will find too many distractions and her rest period will fail” 

“Fine,” Hackett conceded his defeat with an acknowledging smile “You have my consent, I assume you want me to inform Shepard of this enforced leave?”  
Both women smiled at him and nodded

“Hmmph” he shook his head and turned for the door pausing to look over his shoulder “And you wonder why my blood pressure is always sky-high”


	2. Downtime

Entering Shepard’s apartment Liara was surprised to find signs of the Commander already being home, her N7 jacket was slung over the back of the sofa, her rucksack leaning haphazardly on the cushions and her apartment keycard was on the coffee table. Beneath the keycard Liara noticed an official Letter from the alliance, dated today. It didn’t take a genius to workout what the letter contained but it still took her by surprise having presumed it’d take longer than a couple of hours for Hackett to implement the necessities for their earlier conversation to be put into effect. Nor did she expect those necessities to have such an immediate outcome. All of this resulted in leaving the Asari ill prepared for what she’d possibly just walked into.  
A nervous sensation pitched and rolled in her stomach like a fist had grabbed her innards, squeezed and tugged with disregard. With caution and uncertainty Liara began to make her way through the eerily silent apartment.  
Though the apartment was still “on base” it was a far cry from Alliance barracks or any of the official buildings. On the outside it sported the distinct grey, off-white brickwork in keeping with its surroundings but on the inside concrete gave way to lavish wooden flooring throughout, soft golden colours and smooth to the touch, the décor indicative of the occupant it housed. In this case the rooms were vibrant with colour, a central wall housing the only fireplace was of teal blue in shade and the fireplace accentuated in crisp white. Small ornaments sat perched on the mantle each one clearly a memento from varying parts of the galaxy. Above that hung an image of a sail boat, painted in heavy strokes as it sailed on stormy waters with storm clouds overhead. A small ship facing treacherous odds. The Normandy perhaps? Liara had never asked. 

“Shepard?” Liara spoke softly, warily, as she poked her head through the doorway of the kitchen only to find the wooden benches with their granite tops were unoccupied. No pots or pans strewn about or a commander slicing and dicing with the utmost finesse. 

Figuring the bedroom to be her next port of call Liara paused as she became aware of a faint whirring sound that was most definitely not coming from there. Allowing a smile she headed down to the final room in the hallway her suspicions becoming clearer as she found the door partially ajar.  
Easing the door open so as for it not to creak or startle the occupant within she paused as she finally located the woman in question.  
Carefully entering the room Liara propped herself against a nearby wall as she wordlessly observed her bondmate, who was dressed in black knee length shorts, a white vest that clung to her physique in a manner akin to her compression shirt she wore beneath her armour, and a pair of well worn running shoes as she set a heavy pace on the treadmill. The muscles in her calves taught and strong as her feet thundered off the belt, step for step she powered along matching the challenge set by the machine and never wavering. 

Though still unsure what to expect or what her plan of action actually was in terms of the commanders new found downtime it didn’t stop Liara from admiring a multitude of images set out before her. Yes there was those calves that advocated the commanders athleticism but there was also the visualisation of just how well that vest clung to her form, the broadness of shoulders, the bulk of her biceps – not hulking by any means but strong enough to support you when your body falls limp against the cool door of the refrigerator your legs still wrapped possessively around their waist while they carry you from the room and lay you down on the softest sheets with the utmost care.  
Both of those visuals were enticing to say the least but then there was also that solitary bead of sweat that was slowly forming on the back of her neck its intention to slowly descent down her neck, weave its way between her shoulder blades and carry on down beyond the curve of the spine till it finally meets resistance at the waistband of her shorts.  
Liara could have stood there in silence for many a moment more but the motorised sound from the treadmill seemed to be slowing and sure enough before long Shepard went from a sprint, to a jog, to a walk and ceased. 

Shepard, though her back was to Liara, had long since become adept at knowing when her bondmate was near, perhaps it was the melding that created this deep rooted ability or perhaps it was not too dissimilar to that of the fairy tails of old ... star crossed lovers with a destiny prewritten in the stars, a kiss that wakes you from the confides of eternal slumber or love in its purest form rips your beastly curse asunder.

“You gonna hand me a towel or just stare at my ass?”

Liara chuckled as she duly picked up a towel and chilled bottle of water that’d been placed beside it, condensation running down its plastic form. There was humour in that brief sentence for which Liara was grateful.  
She handed the towel to Shepard who set about wiping perspiration from her face

“You’re back early” the Asari poached as she unscrewed the bottled water, taking a swig for herself

“um-hm” Shepard voice was muffled by the towel “ ... its the strangest thing” she slung the towel over one shoulder while taking the offered bottle from Liara. Her breaths still adjusting from the workout “Hackett dropped by said he needed a word ... normally when he needs a chat he’ll send a lackey to come and fetch you so straight off the bat I’m thinking uh-oh, right. If the big guy is making a personal appearance” she pauses momentarily in order to sip from the bottle “but in the end all it turned out to be was something as simple as vacation. Went all around the houses to give me this big sell about the dangers of overdoing it and the need to take time for oneself now and then. Basically trying to coerce me to take some time off”

At that point Shepard broke off from the conversation and started heading towards the door. 

Liara followed close behind, fumbling in her mind for what to say. Sucking in a breath, she steadied her nerve reached out to grab Shepard's wrist and turned her to face her “And what did you say?”

Shepard merely shrugged “been years since I had some vaycay, only rest I seem to get is when I’m banged up in hospital or y’know dead, neither are prime examples of respite so what the hell why not right. As of two hours ago I am officially on leave” 

Liara's elation came out as a small squeal. Shepard pulled her close, her hands to rest on her hips. “That’s a sweet little noise you just made Ms T’Soni, what’s a girl gotta do to make you do it again?”

Liara cocked her eyebrow and shrugged as she hooked a hand around Shepards neck, the skin still moist from that little bead of sweat. “I cannot say, but perhaps you may find your answer in the bedroom?”

“Mmm” Shepard moans contentedly as Liara closes the space between them, her hand now nestled in her hair and her lips pressing softly against the pulse point of her throat. “God Liara...”

“Goddess...” she corrects as her teeth graze with intent 

“My bad...” Shepard moves her hands up from Liaras waist, her thumbs brushing softly across the curve of her breasts, she reaches behind and continues trailing one hand upwards until her fingertips make contact with the tips of her crest, a place so attuned to touch on the Asari body with a texture just as unique. “I ...we ...” Shepard's ability to be coherent was vastly diminishing such was intensity building within her. It took a good amount of her resolved to pull back an action that puzzled Liara as she stilled her ministrations. 

“I stink” Shepard offered her explanation with a grimace. “I’m sweaty and sticky and downright ugh, I mean smell me ...” Shepard grabs her vest and stretches it forward for Liara to sample, who does just that.”

“Why do humans do this? Why do you presume sweat to be an odour, an indication of something foul rather than merely a scent or an aroma. I do not find this to be pungent or off putting in the slightest”

“Really?”

“really”

 

Liara rests her head against her lovers, before placing a finger beneath her chin and bringing her lips to meet her own. 

“Liara...” again she broke the moment “I can smell me...” she whined. 

Liara sighed in resignation and stepped away “Fine, but we’re not done here”

“Oh I hope not” she replied as she removed her shoes then her socks and tossed them aside leaving them where they fell. “Y’know,” she continued, walking backwards whilst fumbling with the ties of her shorts “you could just join me in the shower...”

Liara folded her arms in attempt to appear disinterested “You just want me to wash your back”

“Eh, maybe...” Shepard was now hopping out of her shorts in a less than elegant manner “or maybe I just want you naked and wet...Que Ser, Sera” she winked before disappearing into the bathroom.

It didn’t take long for Liara to follow, a trail of clothes strewn across the hall


End file.
